All that I've known, buildings of stone (fall to the ground)
by championofjustice27
Summary: "This whole area is Ground Zero. I want you out of here." "If you're not leaving I'm not leaving." Sort-of AU in which Felicity doesn't realize the danger she's in when she chooses to stay at Verdant to help disarm Merlyn's device.
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys! So this is my first fanfic, I've actually already started posting the first few chapters over on ao3, but I decided I would post here as well. It's not finished yet, but I wanted to at least post the first chapter here to see if there was any interest. Let me know what you think! :)

* * *

Shaking.

It's all Felicity could feel and she couldn't tell if the shaking was coming from the tremors in the ground or the trembling in her hands quickly spreading to the rest of her body. _Maybe a little of both_ , she thought as she tried to steady her breathing.

Oliver was off fighting for his life, hopefully with Digg by his side, and here she was in a basement in the Glades in the middle of a man-made _earthquake_.

 _"This whole area is Ground Zero. I want you out of here."_

 _"If you're not leaving I'm not leaving."_

Felicity tried to recall the determination she felt as she said those words to Oliver, but that was long gone. The only thing she could focus on was the flickering of the lights and _oh god_ she was feeling a lot like booking it up those stairs and never looking back.

 _No_ , she told herself. _You made the right choice. Starling City needs you here._

 _Oliver needs you here._

And it was true. She had already talked Lance through disarming one device, and she couldn't deny that they had already helped save hundreds of lives. But she would maybe feel a little bit better about that if she hadn't heard Malcolm divulge something none of them had expected...

There was a second device.

Fighting back the tears as she heard the distant sounds of destruction coming from above her, she tried to focus on finding out if Oliver was okay and how she could help. She pressed her comm to her ear and called his name, silently reveling in the sound of his voice as he asked if she was okay.

"Yeah," _if you count terrified and alone and quite possibly on my way to being buried alive as okay_ \- she shut that thought down as quickly as it came. She had to be strong for Oliver. She could do that. Yet even as she thought the words, it took everything in her not to beg him to come back.

"The damage seems to be contained on the east side," and Felicity knew exactly what his response would be as she finished the sentence, "...past Wells Street."

" _Laurel_."

She knew it was coming and yet it still hit her harder than she thought it would. Even after months of working side by side, Gorgeous Laurel still remained his top priority. As she thought that, she felt horrible for how selfish she was being. Not only was he needed there (great now she was thinking of Laurel trapped under a burning building or something and felt even worse), but it's where his heart wanted to be. With the woman he loved. She was terrified, sure, but in any immediate danger? Her mind quickly supplied a no, but the ever-increasing shaking around her was making her reconsider.

Distantly she heard a loud crash that jolted her back to her senses. _Okay that's it. I think if I stayed here any longer it would officially turn from stupidly brave to just plain stupid._ She hurriedly reached for her phone, tablet, and purse and had a brief second to wonder _Oh God- is my car even still intact?_ before she heard a commotion coming from the other side of her earpiece that had her turning back to her desk.

Oliver.

And was that… Tommy she heard with him? Was he… crying? Why was he at CNRI? Was he injured? Was Oliver injured? What happened to Laurel? Her mind was racing with questions but it didn't stop her from overhearing one of the most heartbreaking conversations she would bet had ever taken place between the two billionaires. She didn't even pause to consider how much of a violation of his privacy this was.

Over the past few months, she had become a little too familiar with all the intricacies of Oliver Queen's life. Their partnership was an unusual one. For them, lines had been blurred and crossed so much- nothing was too sacred, especially when it came to the other's safety.

She stood there wide-eyed at her computer as if staring hard enough could let her actually see what was happening. She just had to make sure that he got out alright. That they both did. She knew how important Tommy was to Oliver. Losing him had the potential to damage him - maybe beyond repair. She had even met Tommy a few brief times, and even from those short encounters she knew he had this light about him... a light that she knew Oliver needed. Sure things between them had been strained since Tommy found out Oliver's identity, but that's exactly why Oliver couldn't lose him now. There was so much that needed to be resolved between them - Oliver deserved that much.

All of a sudden she heard more voices on the other side, it sounded vaguely like Laurel sobbing and Detective Lance barking orders for an ambulance. She didn't even realize she was holding her breath until she let out a huge puff of relief. Oliver had gotten Tommy out. She couldn't tell if she was laughing or crying right now but realized it was probably both. Tommy would be fine, he had to be-

Felicity's celebration was short-lived as she turned at the sound of a beam falling immediately to her right, realizing the very real danger she was in. She had been so caught up in making sure Oliver was okay, as if he needed her watching over him (like some sort of twisted guardian angel when he could very obviously take care of himself), that it took the world literally crumbling around her to break her out of her reverie.

That's when the terror kicked in. Her breathing quickened as she took sight of the damage that lay around her. Had she really been so consumed in her worry for Oliver that she failed to notice that Verdant was quickly turning to rubble? If she didn't hurry she really would be buried alive and god if that thought didn't just make her knees weak and cause her to trip and fall right there.

She eyed the stairs dubiously, they were half off the wall and she wasn't sure if she could actually make it all the way up. She could try to find a safe corner to hide out here in the Foundry until the aftershocks ran their course, but what if the damage was so extensive she couldn't make her way out? As she stood there deliberating, the dust grew thicker and she half coughed and half screamed as a slab of concrete fell on her desk cracking one of her computer screens.

Yeah, definitely risk it with the stairs.

She barely dodged a light crashing to the floor, but it did cause her to lose her balance enough to trip and fall right onto a large chunk of debris. It slammed into her shoulder and hurt like hell but she got right back up because she had to get out, she was so close, she had to find Digg, she had to make sure Oliver was alright, she had to-

All of a sudden an entire section of the ceiling rained down and Felicity couldn't dodge it all so she put her arms above her head as she tried to keep moving toward the stairs. But the weight slammed over her and caused her to fall, knocking her head on one of the tables near the exit.

The last thing she saw was Oliver's work desk crumpled under the weight of a concrete block - and then the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

Ahhh! Thanks so much for everyone's favorites/follows and especially to those of you who reviews :) Seriously feedback on my story is the best motivator and it makes me want to write so much more. Here's the next part - Let me know what you all think!

* * *

Oliver burst through the doors of Starling General and immediately flagged down a nurse to find out where Tommy was being treated. He cursed himself for taking so long to get here, but the streets were practically a war zone out there and he couldn't very well waltz into the hospital lobby as The Hood. The fight with Merlyn really took a toll on his body, and the gash in his shoulder made it nearly impossible for Oliver to change out of his leather.

It didn't look any better in here than it did outside, Oliver silently noted as he watched nurses wheel injured people past while the waiting room was currently flooded with those whose wounds were less severe and unfortunately had to tough it out.

He felt the guilt creeping up on him but quickly shook it off and focused on finding out about Tommy. Thankfully one nurse took pity on him and told him what he needed to know before she rushed off to help another nurse with a particularly battered looking man. Oliver barely spared them a glance before practically running to the East Wing to see if his best friend was really okay.

Tommy was still breathing when he got him out of CNRI, but it looked.. really bad, and while Oliver watched Tommy struggle to stay conscious, he couldn't help but be afraid that he would look back on this moment as yet another time he found himself responsible for letting someone he loved die. His father was one thing, but Tommy was completely innocent in all this, there was no way Oliver could live with himself if he didn't make it.

" _Open your eyes, Tommy… open your eyes!"_

Oliver recalled the pain he felt in that moment when he really, truly thought he'd lost Tommy. He was right there back in CNRI watching Tommy struggle to just keep breathing, it was so—

"Ollie!"

His head shot up, Laurel's voice snapping him out of his dark thoughts, he didn't even realize he'd stopped walking, and as she ran up to him he saw her face and immediately panicked. She was crying. But were those tears of joy, or grief?

Laurel saw the fear on his face and gave him a weak smile which was all he needed to ease at least a fraction of the tension currently constricting his body. He knew his eyes were begging for her to answer his unspoken question, since his mouth wasn't brave enough to find the words to ask.

"He's pretty bad… there was a piece of rebar that pierced his shoulder but thankfully it didn't puncture anything vital. He's lost a lot of blood, though. And his leg was crushed pretty badly when he was lying underneath the rubble, so we can't be sure what the real damage is until he wakes up.." She turned, as she said this, looking through the window at Tommy's bed.

"The doctors say that when he does he definitely needs to stick to bed rest for a while, but they're at least optimistic that he'll wake up sometime soon."

The relief Oliver feels in that moment is almost palpable, he could cry. In the back of his mind he notes all the injuries and potential problems Tommy will be forced to face when he wakes, but right now all he can feel is sheer gratitude that his best friend is _alive_.

Laurel laughs a little bit because she understands his relief, and automatically turns to go back into Tommy's room but seems to remember he's there and suddenly stops short and looks at him questioningly. "They said he's allowed a visitor but only one for right now, did you..?" She motions inside and Oliver almost panics.

"Oh no, please," he nods at Tommy through the window, "I'm sure he would want you in there." He takes a step back. _Especially with the way he and I left things_ , Oliver thinks to himself.

Laurel seems to understand the unsaid words because her eyes grow a little wide and he's sure she's remembering the night they shared just 2 days ago. It seems like a whole other life, and now that he really thinks about it, Oliver wonders if that whole rendezvous hadn't been a mistake.

He knows Laurel thinks so too because she glances back through the glass and her eyes soften, and in that moment Oliver knows what she feels for Tommy is greater than anything she feels, or has ever felt, for himself.

Laurel looks at him and offers a small smile and a thanks before walking back inside and positioning her chair as close to Tommy's bed as possible. She grabs his hand and just kind of closes her eyes, and Oliver knows she's silently thanking whoever's up there for the life that still runs through Tommy's veins.

Oliver moves to sit on one of the chairs in the hallway and leans forward with his forearms on his knees, head practically in his hands, and takes a deep breath for what feels like the first time since he pulled his bike up to CNRI thinking Laurel was inside. He's so used to constantly being on alert for the next bad thing to happen, but now that Tommy's safe, he allows a little bit of the strain to leave his body.

Sitting up, he spots a med cart a few feet away and he knows he should get his own wound taken care of, but given the amount of nurses that keep frantically rushing past him he's pretty sure they must be understaffed at the moment.

Hoping they're too busy to give a damn, Oliver quickly swipes a roll of bandage and some antibiotics off the cart and heads to the bathroom. Regardless of how busy the hospital is right now, he doubts the gaping arrow hole in his shoulder would go unnoticed. Once in the restroom he strips off his shirt and makes quick work of dressing his wound. It hurts like hell, but Oliver and pain have long since come to an understanding. Looking at the blood he knows he should probably stitch it up, but the haphazard bandage will do for now.

As he looks in the mirror, he takes in the dirt and dried blood on his face and neck (Malcolm's? Tommy's? his own? he honestly couldn't tell) which contrasts with his spotless clothes. Anyone with half a brain would question his appearance, but everyone's too wrapped up in their own trauma that they can't be bothered to notice. At least that gives him one less thing he has to worry about.

Looking at himself, he can't help but return to CNRI and the image of a nearly-dead Tommy laying in front of him. Remembering the words they both said.. Tommy really thought he was going to die in there, and up until just a few minutes ago Oliver did too.

He saw a flash of a life without Tommy Merlyn, his best friend practically since birth. He saw a glimpses of his funeral, of his tombstone. Oliver knew Tommy had been forced to stand before his own grave back when everyone believed he was dead, but Oliver didn't know if he could ever be strong enough to do the same.

Oliver exits the restroom and goes back to look at Tommy through the window. He's already been told that Tommy will be fine, but Oliver has learned from experience to never accept anything without proof. Watching Tommy's chest rise and fall with deep breaths assures him more than Laurel or the doctor's words ever could.

Laurel is talking to Tommy now, and she looks so torn. He wonders if she's apologizing for what happened between the two of them. Or.. the three of them, really. It's probably easier to tell Tommy like this, when he can't look back at you with betrayal in his eyes.

Oliver knows that look all too well.

But as he looks at Laurel's tearful expression, Oliver knows she really is sorry. Sorry for ever ruining the relationship she and Tommy had, all for a guy who had never been able to treat her half as well as Tommy had.

Oliver thought the island had finally brought out the man Laurel always saw, by scraping off all the parts he wasn't. He thought that he would finally be worthy of her love. But what if in scraping off who he wasn't, the island also scraped away the boy who was in love with Laurel Lance? Because those parts were one and the same?

Since coming back, he and Laurel had been as messy as ever, and he thought it had been because of his other identity. Because of his separate life as The Hood. But what if it wasn't? What if the reason they didn't work, had never worked really, (his countless infidelities leading up to him bringing her _sister_ with him on the Gambit proved that point pretty well) was because of Oliver Queen?

He had spent so much of his time during the 5 years away wishing he could come back to Laurel, but… was it because he actually loved her? Or because he felt guilty? Or because he simply missed home and she was one of his strongest ties to Starling?

Oliver feels like he's finally seeing everything clearly for the first time, and _then_ he feels like an idiot for not knowing sooner. Laurel is important to him, of course, she's been a huge part of his life for as long as he can remember. But real love is fighting for someone, it's trying to make them happy, even if that means letting them go. It means risking your life because you _know_ every bone in your body has been created to keep that person safe.

Tommy's the one who ran after Laurel tonight at CNRI. Tommy isn't trained for this, he doesn't have 5 years experience on a not-so-deserted island, fighting everyday to survive. But he went after her anyway. He did it knowing he could _die_ , but he couldn't let her get hurt without doing everything he possibly could to stop it.

Tommy and Laurel bring out the best in each other, and if there was one good thing that came out of his 5 years away, it's this. It's them finding each other.

Taking a step back from the window, Oliver lets his shoulders relax and suddenly feels hopeful. Because even if Tommy is still angry at him and blames him for the lies, Oliver knows that he can't push Laurel away for that long. They belong together, and they make each other happy. And just knowing that by saving Tommy's life tonight he could give them both that… well, Oliver feels a small sense of accomplishment.

He's wrecked so many things by being gone, and so many _more_ things since coming back that it feels good to make this one thing right.

Distantly, Oliver hears someone shout his name from down the hallway and immediately turns to the voice. Diggle?

"Oliver!" Digg strides up to him with a little less vigor than usual. "There you are man, I've been looking for you— I figured this is where you'd be." Diggle nods to Tommy and Laurel through the window.

Oliver knows that the fight with Merlyn left Diggle pretty beat up. He must have rushed here straight away to get his injuries treated before the hospital got swamped with people. Digg is more than capable of taking care of himself but Oliver still feels a little guilty that he hadn't even spared him a thought since what happened with Tommy.

His body stiffening, Oliver realizes that his mind has been so one-tracked since CNRI that he really _hasn't_ thought about anyone else.

Suddenly it's like everyone comes flooding back to him. His mother was taken into custody, his sister is hopefully safe at the mansion, but what about...

"-heard from Felicity?"

Oliver breaks out of his thoughts and looks right at Digg. What did he say about Felicity?

"Heard from her? No, the last time I talked to her—" Oliver paused at this... the last time he talked to her she had still been in the basement of Verdant in the middle of an earthquake telling him to go save Laurel.

Oliver felt like he was gonna be sick.

"The last time I talked to her was when she told me about the damage at CNRI. Why? Did she call you? Is she okay?"

Clearly those were not the words Diggle was expecting to hear because his face grew dark in response. "No, man, I tried calling her but there was no answer."

Here is where Oliver really starts to lose it. Felicity _always_ answers her phone.

"I'm starting to get worried. It's bad out there- gangsters are running crazy..the streets are a mess..half the city is in shambles. She shouldn't be by herself."

Oliver was trying not to panic but the idea of Felicity out there _alone_ in this chaos makes him want to hop on his bike right now and go find her.

He's already halfway down the hallway before he starts talking, "I'm going to look for her. I'm sure she's fine, probably lost her phone or something in this mess. She's smart. I'm sure she's okay."

Oliver didn't know who he was trying to convince but as he said the words he knew there was some truth. Felicity was the smartest person he knew. He just hoped that would be enough to keep her safe in all this.

Digg was in no condition to leave the hospital, but Oliver knew it was killing Digg to not be able to come with him.

"I'll stay here and watch over Tommy." Oliver nodded his agreement, knowing there's no one he could trust more. They're almost to the elevator when Digg grabs Oliver by the shoulder and looks at him with one of the gravest expressions he's seen.

"You better find our girl, Oliver."

Quashing down images of a bloody Felicity, lying in the streets, mugged or struck by a car, Oliver opts for the stairs and is out the front doors of the hospital in record time.

Pulling on his helmet he prays that she's somewhere safe, trying to figure out a way to reach him and Digg to let them know that she's okay and they're worrying over nothing.

Just a few short minutes ago Oliver had been practically overwhelmed with relief that his best friend would live through tonight. He was so used to people he cared about being hurt, that the one good thing to happen had foolishly made him think they would all come out of this tragedy unscathed.

Revving the engine of his motorcycle, Oliver races toward Verdant, trying to stay calm for Felicity, and failing. He decides that if she doesn't answer her phone he'll try her comm. Maybe she still has it on her.

And just like that, all the relief he felt over Tommy was replaced by his concern for Felicity.

 _I should've known it's never that easy._

* * *

It's the pain that finally wakes her, and it's what lets her know she's not dead. _Though I kind of wish I was if it means the horrible ache in my head would go away.._

Felicity tries opening her eyes and immediately starts to panic.

It's pitch black.

She's never had a huge problem with the dark before, but when said darkness includes the ruins of an empty nightclub basement in the middle of the Glades with stray wires, debris, and jagged chunks of concrete most likely blocking any kind of exit thereby making her officially stuck here for the foreseeable future- well, she definitely has a problem with it now.

Felicity's head is pounding and she shuts her eyes and tries to breathe through the pain but instead of air, there's a cloud of dust being sucked down her throat causing her to erupt into a fit of coughing that rattles her battered body.

The pain she was feeling when she woke up suddenly intensifies into an agony that she's never experienced before, and she knows immediately that breathing was a very, very bad idea. Felicity tries to calm her body enough to take stock of her injuries but she can barely think through all the hurt. Tears are streaming from her eyes and she's trying to keep the sobs in but she can't she can't, it hurts to breathe, to move, to think, everything just _hurts_.

She knows she should be stronger than this, she _is_ stronger than this, but it doesn't exactly feel that way right now so she gives herself a few moments to wallow in the hopelessness of her situation.

She vaguely remembers knocking her head on the table she's currently lying under, which would explain why her brain feels like it's sloshing around in her skull. _Probably... no definitely a concussion there. Good going, Smoak._ And _why_ is there a searing pain in her left leg? Wiggling it a little bit she instantly regrets her decision when the pain is amplified and she makes a sound somewhere between a sob and a scream. There's a block of concrete currently crushing her leg making it impossible for her to move. Not that she's really in any condition to be going anywhere at the moment.

Trying not to move her head too much (because _ow),_ Felicity tries to figure out what's around her, although it's kind of pointless since she can't see anything. But she feels really claustrophobic for some reason and realizes it's because the table she fell under is also under a huge chunk of ceiling causing it to cave in and is basically pinning her to the ground. Even if her leg weren't being squashed, she'd still be stuck under this table and wow that makes her very panicky all of a sudden. She's basically lying in her own grave right now and _oh no, no no no, think about something else, Felicity, focus on anything else._

She lifts a hand to her face and feels something wet. At first she thinks it's just the tears but it feels too sticky to be water…

 _Oh god that's blood. I'm bleeding. From my head. I'm bleeding from a head injury, and my body feels like it's been run over by a truck-scratch that, FIVE trucks- and I highly doubt anyone is coming for me. It really can't get any worse than this._

She'll probably die in here, surrounded by rubble and buried in the one place in the whole world she felt safest. What kind of sick irony is that?

 _I bet Oliver would be able to find his way out of this._

At the thought of Oliver she's suddenly elated because there might be hope. He would come for her, right? He wouldn't just leave her here to slowly suffocate and die?

But then Felicity remembers how he ran after Laurel and is probably with her right now. No doubt she's his top priority. Who knows how long it'll be until someone comes looking for her in the wreck… days, maybe? She won't last that long.

She doesn't even know if she'll last through the next couple of hours.

Oliver and Digg will remember to check in with her, but who knows when that will be? And can she really blame them for focusing on their family? They're a team, sure, but when something like this happens you want to be with the people you love most.

The club wasn't even open at the time of the quake, so even if someone were to pass by they would probably assume it was empty. Why would someone think to look in the basement where _no one_ was supposed to be? The only people who know where she is are most likely dealing with their own trauma. Digg was injured, he should be getting himself patched up and he's probably crazy worried about Carly and AJ, and Oliver has a whole army of people to worry about.

She doesn't blame them, of course, because really they only met a few short months ago, how can she expect for them to put her above their own _families_?

Yet illogical as it may seem, it still hurts. All she wanted was someone to put her first. For someone to worry about her, to care enough to save her from this disaster.

She's never been the damsel-type, but being near death really tends to make a person distressed.

Felicity is crying harder now, not even the pain can keep the sobs at bay. She can't see a way out of this mess and she's so close to just giving up. She didn't think it was possible to feel any worse than when she first woke up, but of course her brain is great at proving her wrong. The fear is practically eating her alive, and she's just so _alone_.

That's the worst part.

Being by herself. She's lived her whole life no stranger to loneliness, but when she joined Oliver's crusade she'd thought maybe she found somewhere she finally fit in. She thought she'd found people who could make her forget that loneliness.

Yet here she is, trapped and bleeding and injured and alone, and there doesn't seem to be any solution or way out.

Her leg is getting numb now and even though that means the pain is a little less excruciating, Felicity knows it can't mean anything good. If there's permanent damage.. who knows if she'll even be able to use that leg again? _That is if I ever even make it out of here… I'm not gonna need a leg if I'm dead._ It's getting harder and harder to keep her thoughts from becoming so dark, but the reality of the situation is-

Wait. Where is that sound coming from?

Felicity hears a crackling kind of static coming from… underneath her? It sounds almost like her comm link, but.. incredibly muffled?

 _Oh my god, my comm! Is someone trying to reach me? Oh god where is it oh god please help me someone-_

Felicity stomps down the feeling of hope because she knows it has the power to truly break her if she lets it. She tries to shuffle her body around to reach the comm from under her hip and ignores the searing pain that shoots through her body because if there's some way for her to get out of here..

" _...ease answer me. Felicity! Are you there?"_

 _Oliver!_

What Felicity thought was just a piece of rock lodged into her side was actually her earpiece and Oliver is trying to reach her. He didn't forget about her, he's looking for her, he's-

" _Can you hear me Felicity?! Please, answer me!"_

He sounds like he's sick with worry but in this moment she thinks that his voice may be the most beautiful sound she's ever heard. She almost sobs in relief, her breath hitching, but immediately stops herself, remembering how badly that turned out last time.

She must have made some kind of noise though, because Oliver is suddenly yelling now.

" _Felicity! Is that you? Where are you?! Are you hurt?"_

She painfully brings the comm closer to her face and tries to speak into it, but it feels like someone poured gravel down her throat making it so that she can barely wheeze out an answer.

She coughs into the comm and knows he hears her because he shouts something else on the other side, but she just focuses on giving him an answer, anything that will help him find her before it's too late.

Even whispering is practically unbearable at this point but Felicity won't let herself give up when she's so close to being found.

"Ol..ver…..dant." A violent fit of coughs racks her body once more. Her chest feels like someone dumped a pile of rocks on it.

"..so scared, please help me." Her voice is weak and raspy, but she's terrified, she just wants to make it out of this alive.

She hears his engine grow even louder in the background, and she knows he's going dangerously fast right now. She wants to tell him not to be stupid and get himself killed on his way to save her, but she can't feel anything past the fear, the pain, and the sliver of hope growing in her veins.

" _I'm only a few blocks away, Felicity. I'm coming. Just hold on."_


End file.
